Chase Update: They're serving up drama

Tuesday

Oct 15, 2013 at 5:06 PMOct 16, 2013 at 12:01 AM

There is a clear-cut line between the contenders and pretenders in the Sprint Cup Chase standings.

By GODWIN KELLYgodwin.kelly@news-jrnl.com

There is a clear-cut line between the contenders and pretenders in the Sprint Cup Chase standings midway through the playoffs. The Chase has whittled the 13-driver field down to five true championship hopefuls. The points separation from No. 5 Kyle Busch to sixth-ranked Greg Biffle is a staggering 21 points.This is a hold-your-breath weekend for Chase contenders because Talladega Superspeedway has always been viewed as the venue with the best chance to shake up the points standings. Why? Because the cars run three-wide, inches apart at speeds near 200 mph for 188 laps over the 2.66-mile tri-oval. One bad decision, one bobble of the steering wheel can produce a chain-reaction crash that can wipe out a dozen cars in a heartbeat. It's no wonder some drivers prefer to hang toward the back of the pack to lessen the chance of a mishap. Dale Jarrett was the first to employ that strategy to win his last Cup race in 2005. He took the lead just as the caution came out to end the race. If Matt Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson get swept into The Big One, that will open the door to the drivers chasing their rear bumpers for the 2013 championship. In the blink of an eye, former Talladega winners Kevin Harvick and Jeff Gordon could make up huge chunks of points. This looks like their best chance to pull within striking distance of the two front-runners, but everybody is a bit anxious.“I don't know if anybody is looking forward to Talladega, but it's part of it,” Gordon said. “And you've got to go in there with a positive attitude and fight and do your best and try to avoid whatever may occur there or what's going to occur there and hope that you come out with a race car. It doesn't even have to be in one piece. It just needs to get across the line with a decent finish.”HIGH FIVE1. Matt KensethPoints back: LeaderLast five races: 1st, 1st, 7th, 11th, 3rdCareer at Talladega: 27 starts, 1 win, 5 top-5s, 17.6 average finishThe buzz: The Cup Series is at the halfway point of the Chase and Kenseth has shown his resilience to stay at the top of the standings. “We made it through the first half good and maintained a very small lead, so that's better than being behind,” Kenseth said.2. Jimmie JohnsonPoints back: 4Last five races: 5th, 4th, 1st, 6th, 4thCareer at Talladega: 22 starts, 3 wins, 6 top-5s, 17.1 average finishThe buzz: A late caution at Charlotte took Johnson out of the running for a win and turned on his expletive-deleted vocabulary on the cool-down lap. Not known as a plate racer, Johnson swept both races at Daytona and hopes to carry that hot hand into Talladega.3. Kevin HarvickPoints back: 29Last five races: 3rd, 20th, 6th, 1st, 6thCareer at Talladega: 25 starts, 1 win, 6 top-5s, 16.4 average finishThe buzz: This is it. This is the one. This is where Harvick can join the Kenseth-Johnson championship party, should those two find trouble at the 2.66-mile tri-oval. Car owner Richard Childress knows how to prep a slick car, so count Harvick as a race favorite.4. Jeff GordonPoints back: 36Last five races: 6th, 15th, 4th, 3rd, 7thCareer at Talladega: 41 starts, 6 wins, 15 top-5s, 16.3 average finishThe buzz: Five weeks ago, Gordon wasn't in the Chase. NASCAR chairman Brian France used his authority to add Gordon to the playoff field. With a few breaks, including a possible win at Talladega, Gordon could become a championship threat. Go figure. 5. Kyle BuschPoints back: 37Last five races: 2nd, 2nd, 5th, 34th, 5thCareer at Talladega: 17 starts, 1 wins, 3 top-5s, 22.9 average finishThe buzz: Busch used his Chase mulligan at Kansas. There is no room for error in the last five races. Busch is at the tail end of the lead pack, so he needs to pedal a little faster to catch those ahead of him. He also needs to avoid locking horns with nemesis Brad Keselowski.GLOW IS FADING6. Greg BifflePoints back: 58Last five races: 16th, 3rd, 9th, 13th, 16thCareer at Talladega: 21 starts, no wins, 2 top-5s, 19.9 average finishThe buzz: Two top-10 finishes in the first five Chase races does not a championship make. Biffle hasn't had much success at restrictor-plate races, but he can take comfort in knowing David Ragan won the spring race at Talladega, meaning anyone can win Sunday.7. Kurt BuschPoints back: 59Last five races: 4th, 13th, 21st, 2nd, 14thCareer at Talladega: 25 starts, no wins, 6 top-5s, 16.7 average finishThe buzz: In 51 combined starts at restrictor-plate tracks (Daytona and Talladega), Busch has never won a race. He would like nothing better to rid himself of that goose egg, especially if it helps throw the Chase standings into chaos. 8. Clint BowyerPoints back: 63Last five races: 9th, 17th, 10th, 14th, 11thCareer at Talladega: 15 starts, 2 wins, 4 top-5s, 16.3 average finishThe buzz: Uh-oh. Talladega is known for teammates helping each other improve position during the race. Helping a teammate improve position is a sore subject for Bowyer. Since his teammate was expelled from the Chase, maybe he can assist Kenseth or Kyle Busch on Sunday.TURN OUT THE LIGHTS9. Dale Earnhardt Jr.Points back: 66Last five races: 35th, 6th, 2nd, 8th, 15thCareer at Talladega: 27 starts, 5 wins, 9 top-5s, 15.1 average finishThe buzz: Earnhardt's Talladega stats are deceiving. Those five wins all happened in a burst between 2000-04. Since then, uh, not so great. If he has a decent car, maybe he can help teammates Johnson and Gordon with a push.10. Carl EdwardsPoints back: 67Last five races: 11th, 9th, 35th, 5th, 10thCareer at Talladega: 18 starts, no wins, 2 top-5s, 20.8 average finishThe buzz: Don't expect to see a race-winning back flip. Edwards best chances for a win now are at Texas and Homestead. 11. Joey LoganoPoints back: 75Last five races: 37th, 14th, 3rd, 4th, 18thCareer at Talladega: 9 starts, no wins, 2 top-5s, 20.0 average finishThe buzz: Logano's streak of top-5 Chase finishes ended at two. Now he's just one of the guys who will try to get out of Talladega with all his fenders. Charlotte wasn't good to Logano. He finished 18th.12. Ryan NewmanPoints back: 78Last five races: 10th, 16th, 8th, 35th, 8thCareer at Talladega: 23 starts, no wins, 4 top-5s, 22.2 average finishThe buzz: Newman has been spectacular at Talladega — when it comes to dramatic crashes. He has flipped and gone airborne more times than Dale Earnhardt Jr. has changed his facial hair look.13. Kasey KahnePoints back: 81Last five races: 12th, 37th, 13th, 15th, 2ndCareer at Talladega: 19 starts, no wins, 3 top-5s, 21.5 average finishThe buzz: Good news? Kahne was second at Charlotte. Bad news? He gained all of two points in the standings. Kahne is so far back in the Chase standings, you need binoculars to find him. No pressure Kasey. Just have fun.

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